Page 151 of Ensnared

Mybreath rushes out of me.

Lucky’shidey hole.

Istop, flooded with a focused sense of calm.No,Ican’t go back to the farm and the safety of that hidden cave.MaybeIcanhelp.

I’mtruly shaking now, butIpush off in the other direction, not looking at the carnage behind me, andrun.

Chapter34

Jaykob

Survivaltip #151

Don’tbe a hero.

Goddamn it,no!

Mychest seizes asLuckyhits the ground, already limp.Idiot.Brave, stupididiot.

Pressingaround the corner of the shed,Iwring out a few rounds toward the tree line where some fuckers have started getting bold.Itwon’t take long for them to work out that if we had more frags, we’d be using them.Luckyis sprawled a few feet from the truck where he andJasperhad been trapped, the burning barn illuminating his figure in shadows.

Notmoving.

Fuck.

Igrit down against the rush of sick, icy horror.MemoriesofRyan, of getting the news, threaten to rise up, but there’s no wayIhave time for this shit.Pullingon the tricks the head-doctor taught me—because no way willIadmit it, but they do work—Iforce myself to take in my surroundings, to catalog the shitty visuals of my present.Atthe same time,Ipress against the peeling, slick flesh of the burn wound running up my side, letting the pain anchor me.Okay, not exactly what the posh prince recommended, but it works.

Thisis bad.Ijust made it out of the barn before the exits became unusable, only to get trapped behind the drying shed.ThankstoLucky, we’re now free of the cluster over the far side that was closing in, but there are still too many in the trees trapping me here, andI’mrunning out of rounds.

IfIcould just getintothe shed,I’dhave a lot more fire power to work with, but trying now would only buy myself a quick plot in an early grave.

Jaspermight be able to get out from behind that truck now, but the way he’s edging around it makes me think he’s gunning forLuckyover safety.

What’sleft of him, anyway.

Igrit my teeth, and peer round the corner of the shed toward the trees, wondering ifIcan make a run towardBristlebrook.Abullet whistles beside my head, andIjerk back.

Yeah, that’s a no.

Heatfrom the barn sends sweat trickling down my spine.Iweigh up whether to go toJasper, but he’s even more exposed thanIam.Notto mention that running through the clearing without cover, even ten yards, would probably be enough for them to put my lights out.

Icheck my magazine, grunting when my exposed burn tugs asImove.Lessthan a dozen rounds.WhenIlook up,Jaspercrouches and creeps out into the clearing towardLucky’sbody.Twobullets fly from the trees—one goes wide but the other slashes the air right beside his neck.Jasperdoesn’t flinch, doesn’t make any move to get out of the way, just keeps moving towardLucky.Firelightflickers over the determined set of his jaw.

“Hey, asshole!”Ishout at him. “Getback behind the truck.”

There’sno point.Thekid’s probably gone anyway.Youdon’t take two bullets to the chest and make it without heavy-duty and quick medical intervention.Jasper’sjust going to get himself killed as well, andI... don’t want that.

Jasperignores me as neatly as he did the bullet.Damnit.Thisisnotprotocol.Panicfires through me.Ilean out and fire toward the trees where the shots came from, shouting wildly at the stupid, untrained shrink.

“Thisisgoddamned.”

Facespull back and weapons gleam from the shadows.

“Stupid.”

Theshots shift away from firing onJasperand start piercing the flimsy shed around me.Igrunt and duck lower.Thisis a bad angle for me, but ifImove around the shed,Iwon’t be able to coverJasperfor shit.

“Hero.”

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